Kristine Bartlett – A brilliant choice for New Zealander of the Year

National Council of Women (NCWNZ) CEO and Gender Equal NZ Spokesperson, Dr Gill Greer says she’s delighted with news that equal pay champion, Kristine Bartlett, has been named New Zealander of the Year.

“Kristine has been an inspirational and courageous campaigner for ‘equal pay for work of equal value – regardless of gender’ and together with her 3,000 colleagues and the E tu Union has achieved a huge victory for over 55,000 care and support workers across the country. From our point of view she is a Gender Equal hero,” she says.

“Gender-based pay discrimination has been an issue both in New Zealand and internationally for a ludicrously long time. The National Council of Women has been campaigning for gender equality for 122 years and passed its first remit on equal pay for equal work back in 1897. The early suffragists, who won the vote for Kiwi women 125 years ago, had it on the table then. If this is not an issue that “time is up” for – I don’t know what is!”

“Kristine’s campaign has spoken for the substantial number of women workers who are still underpaid for the work they do and has paved the way for many other women-dominant industries to follow.

“This is a significant milestone on the road to Gender Equality. We would encourage all New Zealanders to get in behind this campaign and make pay equity a reality,” she says.